Yes: as of October 16, 2026, Kentucky has medical cannabis dispensaries open in all 11 of its licensing regions, so every registered patient in the state now has a store in their region. Gov. Andy Beshear announced the milestone after Sunnyside Dispensary opened in Prestonsburg on October 12, bringing the state to 26 operating dispensaries, 46 operating cannabis businesses, more than 500 registered practitioners and more than 28,000 approved patients, according to the governor’s office.
This is the news piece: what changed this week, who now qualifies, and how to get a card and buy legally. For the full rulebook on possession limits, penalties, driving and hemp, see our Kentucky marijuana laws guide.
What Happened: The Mountain Region Gets Its First Dispensary
Kentucky splits dispensary licenses across 11 regions so that patients in rural counties are not left behind the big cities. Until this month, one region had no open store. That changed when the Office of Medical Cannabis approved Sunnyside Dispensary in Prestonsburg, Floyd County, on Friday, October 9, and the store opened Monday, October 12, at 81 Glynview Plaza, Suite 147. The October 16 announcement calls it the first dispensary in the Mountain Region, which means dispensaries now operate in every licensing region. The state’s region map shows the boundaries.
Beshear framed the milestone around patient access, saying, “Every step of this process has put patients first.” For people in eastern Kentucky, the practical change is distance: a cardholder in Floyd County no longer has to drive to another region to fill a 30-day supply.
Kentucky Medical Cannabis by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure (as of October 16, 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing regions with an open dispensary | 11 of 11 | Governor’s office |
| Operating dispensaries | 26 | Governor’s office |
| Dispensary licenses issued | 48 | Office of Medical Cannabis FAQ |
| Operating cannabis businesses (all license types) | 46 | Governor’s office |
| Registered practitioners | More than 500 | Governor’s office |
| Kentuckians approved for a card | More than 28,000 | Governor’s office |
| Patient application fee | $25 | Office of Medical Cannabis |
One note on the count: the state’s Find a Dispensary directory, last updated October 14, listed 25 operational stores when we checked, one fewer than the governor’s figure. Directories lag openings, so call ahead before you drive.
Where Kentucky Dispensaries Are Open
The state directory lists operating dispensaries in Ashland, Beaver Dam, Bowling Green, Corbin, Elizabethtown, Erlanger, Ferguson, Florence, Frankfort, Georgetown, Lebanon, Lexington, London, Louisville, Mayfield, Murray, Nicholasville, Nortonville, Oak Grove, Paducah, Prestonsburg, Princeton, Richmond, Stanford and Wilder, as of October 14, 2026. You can search the directory by name, address, city or county, and typing “operational” filters out licensees that have not opened yet. Not every licensed dispensary is open, and the Office notes that licensees may ask to relocate.
Who Qualifies Now: The Original Six Plus 15 Clarified Conditions
Senate Bill 47, which Beshear signed on March 31, 2023, made medical cannabis legal starting January 1, 2025 (bill record). The statute, KRS 218B.010(26), lists these qualifying conditions:
- Cancer of any type
- Chronic, severe or debilitating pain
- Epilepsy or other intractable seizure disorders
- Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms or spasticity
- Chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome that has proven resistant to other treatment
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
On June 2, 2026, Beshear signed Executive Order 2026-318, which directed the Office of Medical Cannabis to issue an emergency regulation clarifying that definition (governor’s release). The result is 915 KAR 2:050E, filed the same day. It does not add new statutory categories. Instead it says a condition can qualify when one of its underlying symptoms is a condition already listed in the law, such as chronic pain or nausea, and a registered practitioner diagnoses or confirms it.
The regulation names 15 conditions that the Kentucky Board of Physicians and Advisors recommended for express inclusion:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Sickle cell anemia
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Neuropathies
- Severe arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- HIV
- AIDS
- Glaucoma
- Terminal illness
The state’s July 2026 practitioner guide tells doctors and nurse practitioners that the executive order clarifies the definition and that its examples are “not a complete list.” A permanent version of the regulation, 915 KAR 2:050, was filed alongside the emergency rule and went through public comment this summer. The expansion came by executive action, not a new law: a legislative bill to expand conditions, HB 401, did not get a committee hearing in 2026, and Republican legislative leaders objected to the order, the Marijuana Policy Project reported. If you qualify only under one of the 15, keep an eye on the regulation’s status.
How to Get a Kentucky Medical Cannabis Card, Step by Step
- Find a registered practitioner. Only physicians and APRNs authorized by their licensing board and registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis can certify you. The state website has a Find a Practitioner search.
- Get an in-person exam. The practitioner must establish a bona fide relationship during an initial in-person exam, review a 12-month prescription history report from KASPER, the state’s drug monitoring system, discuss risks and side effects, and diagnose or confirm a qualifying condition. The written certification is submitted electronically within 24 hours of the exam, per the practitioner guide.
- Apply in the patient portal. The application asks for your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, the practitioner’s information and the $25 fee.
- Upload a notarized signature page. You pledge not to divert cannabis to anyone not allowed to have it. Plan the notary visit before you start.
- Add a caregiver if needed. Caregivers must be Kentucky residents, 21 or older, without disqualifying felonies, and can help no more than three patients. Patients under 18 need a second diagnosis from a different practitioner and a custodial parent or guardian as caregiver.
The Office runs a free monthly patient webinar on certification and registration; the next one is October 21, 2026, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern, with registration on the program home page. The help line is 833-727-2828. Our national medical marijuana card guide explains how certification works across states.
What You Can Buy, and What Is Still Illegal
Kentucky dispensaries may sell edibles, oils, tinctures, vapes and raw plant material, and only patients 21 and older may buy vaping products, according to the Office of Medical Cannabis. Flower is sold, but smoking it is not legal: raw plant material must carry a label saying it is “not intended for consumption by smoking.” Purchase and possession limits (a 30-day supply at home, a 10-day supply on your person) are set out in our state law guide. New to the store experience? Our guide to what to buy at a dispensary walks through product types.
Three things have not changed with the new openings:
- No recreational sales. Kentucky remains medical-only. Possession without a card is still a crime.
- No home grow. The Office says state law prohibits individuals from growing their own medical cannabis.
- No out-of-state shopping. Executive Order 2026-361 rescinded the 2022 pardon order, and since July 1, 2026, cardholders who buy medical cannabis in another state may face law enforcement action, the FAQ says. With a store now in every region, the state expects patients to buy at home.
Federally, the April 2026 Justice Department order moved marijuana held under a state medical marijuana license to Schedule III, while adult-use and unlicensed marijuana stay in Schedule I. Crossing state lines with cannabis is still illegal. Our federal law guide tracks the rest of the rescheduling fight.
What This Means for You
- If you already have a card: check the directory for the nearest operational store in your region, call to confirm hours and stock, and bring your registry card and ID. Keep purchases in the original dispensary container when you travel.
- If you were turned away before: if you have one of the 15 conditions named in 915 KAR 2:050E, ask a registered practitioner if your symptoms now support a certification.
- If you live in eastern Kentucky: Prestonsburg is now a local option for the Mountain Region.
- If you drive: impairment is a DUI under KRS 189A.010, and the state requires cannabis to be stored out of reach while you drive.
- Talk to your doctor about drug interactions and side effects, especially if you take prescription medications. Cannabis is not FDA-approved to treat most of the conditions on this list.
Kentucky Medical Cannabis Dispensaries FAQ
How many medical cannabis dispensaries are open in Kentucky?
Gov. Beshear’s office reported 26 operating dispensaries on October 16, 2026, covering all 11 licensing regions. The state directory listed 25 as of October 14. The state has issued 48 dispensary licenses in total.
What was the last Kentucky region to get a dispensary?
The Mountain Region. Sunnyside Dispensary in Prestonsburg, Floyd County, opened October 12, 2026, as the region’s first store.
How much does a Kentucky medical card cost?
The patient application fee is $25. You also pay for the practitioner visit, which the state does not set.
Can I get a Kentucky medical card through telehealth?
Not for the first certification. State guidance requires a bona fide practitioner-patient relationship established during an initial in-person exam.
Does fibromyalgia or Crohn’s disease qualify in Kentucky?
Both are among the 15 conditions named in emergency regulation 915 KAR 2:050E, issued under Executive Order 2026-318, when a registered practitioner diagnoses or confirms the condition and a qualifying underlying symptom.
Can I smoke the flower I buy at a Kentucky dispensary?
No. Kentucky law prohibits smoking medical cannabis. Raw plant material is labeled “not intended for consumption by smoking,” and only patients 21 and older may buy vaping products.
For every state’s rules, see cannabis laws by state, and follow more state milestones in cannabis news.
General information about Kentucky’s medical cannabis program as of October 16, 2026. General information, not legal advice. General information, not medical advice.
